The truly blessed man

1. That Gods forgiveness is every way free to us. We cannot deserve it by any thing of ours. It is of the very nature of a pardon, that it is free. We must distinguish between the provision made in the Covenant of Redemption for our being pardoned, in which we were bought, and satisfaction ⟨p. 290⟩was made to the Justice of God; and the Dispensation of it to us in the Covenant of Grace, in which it is freely bestowed, and the mere mercy of God is celebrated. Whatever Christ hath done to merit it for us, we our selves never did nor could do any thing towards the deserving of it: So that our prayers cannot, of their own nature, oblige God to pardon us: and therefore we are, in them to confess our own unworthiness of it, Luk 15.21.

1. That Gods forgiveness is every way free to us. We cannot deserve it by any thing of ours. It is of the very nature of a pardon, that it is free. We must distinguish between the provision made in the Covenant of Redemption for our being pardoned, in which we were bought, and satisfaction ⟨p. 290⟩was made to the Justice of God; and the Dispensation of it to us in the Covenant of Grace, in which it is freely bestowed, and the meer mercy of God is celebrated. Whatever Christ hath done to merit it for us, we our selves never did nor could do any thing towards the deserving of it: So that our prayers cannot, of their own nature, oblige God to pardon us: and therefore we are, in them to confess our own unworthiness of it, Luk 15.21.

2. Hence all the media by which we come to obtain any favour from him, are his free gift. He hath prescribed them, as an order in which we are to come by his benefits: yet, not only the benefits themselves, but also all the grace and help whereby we are enabled so to wait upon him for them is from him. He gives Repentance, as well as Remission, Acts 5.31